1. Field of Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of cooking appliances and, more particularly, the construction and assembly of an oven door which includes components that are snap-fit together in order to simplify assembly and reduce production costs.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
Ovens and their general construction are well known. In general, an oven includes a cooking cavity having an opening which is selectively closed by a door assembly. Usually, ovens are of two general configurations, the ovens are either built-in units, i.e. into a cabinet or wall, or the oven is a free standing range including a cooktop. The doors furnished with ovens can be composed of multiple components which can include a sealing panel, thermal insulation, a window, an intermediate panel, an outer panel, handles, hinges and, in some instances, a decorative face covering. In order to join all of the aforementioned components into a door, a large number of fasteners or welds are typically required.
A major disadvantage of this known arrangement is the number of assembly operations and fasteners required to construct the oven door. The relatively large number of parts, and complexity of construction increases manufacturing costs. As the home appliance industry is highly competitive, reducing the number of component parts and simplifying construction could lead to a tremendous cost and efficiency savings. However, the overall assembly must still be structurally sound and reliable. Although attempts have been made to simplify the overall construction of an oven door, there exists a need in the art for an improved oven door construction assembly.
An oven door constructed in accordance with the present invention overcomes the disadvantages in the art by reducing the number of components and simplifying the overall construction of an oven door. Specifically, the oven door of the present invention includes a first panel adapted to seal the oven cavity of a cooking appliance, a hinge assembly secured to the first panel, at least one internal door component positioned against the first panel, and a second panel which is snap-fit to the hinge assembly securing the internal door component in position.
Preferably, the hinge assembly is secured to the first panel by first positioning a tab located on a first end of the hinge assembly in a slot provided on an edge portion of the first panel. The hinge assembly is then rotated so as to be positioned against the first panel. Once the hinge assembly is in place, the internal door component(s) is installed in at central portion of first panel. In the most preferred embodiment of the invention, a pre-assembled internal component taking the form of a window pack is utilized. More specifically, the window pack includes an interlocking frame assembly which utilizes matching L-shaped frame elements designed to secure two glass panes in a spaced relationship. Each of the L-shaped frame elements includes a tab and slot structure designed to snap-fit the frame elements into a substantially rectangular support for the glass panes. Once the internal door components are in position, a second panel is snap-fit to the hinge assembly thereby securing the window pack between the first and second panels.
Based on the above, it should be readily apparent that the invention provides for an oven door assembly having a minimum number of required component parts and employs constructions steps which simplifies the construction process and leads to an overall cost savings for the manufacturer. In any event, additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts in the several views.